Illuminating device capable of uniformly diffusing light beams and side view mirror assembly including same

Abstract

An illuminating device ( 28 ) includes a light transmittable shield ( 38 ) having a first face ( 40 ) and a second face ( 42 ) spaced from the first face ( 40 ) in a direction. A chamber ( 43 ) is defined in the first face ( 40 ) and includes an operative face ( 46 ) spaced from the second face ( 42 ) in the direction. A plurality of refractive units ( 52 ) is provided on the operative face ( 46 ). Each refractive unit ( 52 ) includes a plurality refractive faces ( 54 ). Each refractive face ( 54 ) is at a non-parallel and non-perpendicular angle ( 55 ) to the operative face ( 46 ). Light diffusing particles ( 53 ) are disposed between the operative face ( 46 ) and the second face ( 42 ) and are located in the refractive units ( 52 ). At least one light emitting diode ( 34, 36 ) is fixed in relation to the light transmittable shield ( 38 ), is located in the chamber ( 43 ), and faces the operative face ( 46 ).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An illuminating device comprising:
 a light transmittable shield including a first face and a second face spaced from the first face in a direction, with a chamber defined in the first face and including an operative face spaced from the second face in the direction, with a plurality of refractive units provided on the operative face, with each of the plurality of refractive units including a plurality of bottom sides and a top spaced from the plurality of bottom sides in the direction, with a plurality of refractive faces formed between the top and the plurality of bottom sides, with each of the plurality of refractive faces being at a non-parallel and non-perpendicular angle to the operative face, and with a plurality of light diffusing particles disposed between the operative face and the second face and located in the plurality of refractive units; and 
 a first light emitting diode fixed in relation to the light transmittable shield and located in the chamber, with the first light emitting diode adapted to be electrically connected to a power source, with the first light emitting diode facing the operative face, wherein light beams emitted from the first light emitting diode pass through and are refracted by the plurality of refractive faces, and the light beams are then refracted by the plurality of light diffusing particles into diffused light beams passing through the second face of the light transmittable shield, 
 wherein the first light emitting diode is aligned with the top of one of the plurality of refractive units. 
 
     
     
       2. The illuminating device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the operative face includes 8-143 refractive units per square centimeter. 
     
     
       3. The illuminating device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a spacing between the top of each of the plurality of refractive units and the operative face in the direction to a spacing between the operative face and the second face in the direction is between 1.2:1 and 1.8:1. 
     
     
       4. The illuminating device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a spacing between the top of each of the plurality of refractive units and the operative face in the direction to a length of each of the plurality of bottom sides is between 1:2.7 and 1.3:1. 
     
     
       5. The illuminating device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein an angle between two adjacent bottom sides is between 60° and 135°. 
     
     
       6. The illuminating device as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the angle between two adjacent bottom sides is 120°. 
     
     
       7. The illuminating device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the non-parallel and non-perpendicular angle between each of the plurality of refractive faces and the operative face is between 40° and 80°. 
     
     
       8. The illuminating device as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the non-parallel and non-perpendicular angle between each of the plurality of refractive faces and the operative face is 60°±2°. 
     
     
       9. The illuminating device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the light transmittable shield includes 0.25-30 wt % of the plurality of light diffusing particles and 70-99.75 wt % of a light transmittable material. 
     
     
       10. The illuminating device as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the light transmittable shield includes 3-10 wt % of the plurality of light diffusing particles and 90-97 wt % of the light transmittable material. 
     
     
       11. The illuminating device, as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the light transmittable shield includes 5 wt % of the plurality of light diffusing particles and 95 wt % of the light transmittable material. 
     
     
       12. An illuminating device comprising:
 a light transmittable shield including a first face and a second face spaced from the first face in a direction, with a chamber defined in the first face and including an operative face spaced from the second face in the direction, with a plurality of refractive units provided on the operative face, with each of the plurality of refractive units including a plurality of bottom sides and a top spaced from the plurality of bottom sides in the direction, with a plurality of refractive faces formed between the top and the plurality of bottom sides, with each of the plurality of refractive faces being at a non-parallel and non-perpendicular angle to the operative face, and with a plurality of light diffusing particles disposed between the operative face and the second face and located in the plurality of refractive units; and 
 a first light emitting diode fixed in relation to the light transmittable shield and located in the chamber, with the first light emitting diode adapted to be electrically connected to a power source, with the first light emitting diode facing the operative face, wherein light beams emitted from the first light emitting diode pass through and are refracted by the plurality of refractive faces, and the light beams are then refracted by the plurality of light diffusing particles into diffused light beams passing through the second face of the light transmittable shield, 
 with one of the plurality of bottom sides of each of two adjacent refractive units of the plurality of refractive units being sharing a common bottom side of the two adjacent refractive units, with the common bottom sides of the plurality of refractive units meeting with each other at common points, and with the first light emitting diode aligned with one of the common points. 
 
     
     
       13. An illuminating device comprising:
 a light transmittable shield including a first face and a second face spaced from the first face in a direction, with a chamber defined in the first face and including an operative face spaced from the second face in the direction, with a plurality of refractive units provided on the operative face, with each of the plurality of refractive units including a plurality of bottom sides and a top spaced from the plurality of bottom sides in the direction, with a plurality of refractive faces formed between the top and the plurality of bottom sides, with each of the plurality of refractive faces being at a non-parallel and non-perpendicular angle to the operative face, and with a plurality of light diffusing particles disposed between the operative face and the second face and located in the plurality of refractive units; 
 a first light emitting diode fixed in relation to the light transmittable shield and located in the chamber, with the first light emitting diode adapted to be electrically connected to a power source, with the first light emitting diode facing the operative face, wherein light beams emitted from the first light emitting diode pass through and are refracted by the plurality of refractive faces, and the fight beams are then refracted by the plurality of light diffusing particles into diffused light beams passing through the second face of the light transmittable shield; and 
 a plurality of second light emitting diodes received in the chamber and surrounding the first light emitting diode, with the plurality of second light emitting diodes adapted to be electrically connected to the power source, with the plurality of second light emitting diodes having equal spacing to the first light emitting diode, with one of the plurality of bottom sides of each of two adjacent refractive units of the plurality of refractive units being a common bottom side of the two adjacent refractive units, wherein the common bottom sides of the plurality of refractive units meet with each other at common points, and wherein each of the plurality of second light emitting diodes is aligned with one of the tops or one of the common points. 
 
     
     
       14. A side view mirror assembly comprising:
 a side view mirror adapted to be mounted to a side of a vehicle, with the side view mirror including a mirror having a light transmittable section; 
 a light transmittable shield fixed in relation to the mirror and including a first face and a second face spaced from the first face in a direction, with a chamber defined in the first face and including an operative face spaced from the second face in the direction, with the operative face aligned with the light transmittable section of the mirror, with a plurality of refractive units provided on the operative face, with each of the plurality of refractive units including a plurality of bottom sides and a top spaced from the plurality of bottom sides in the direction, with a plurality of refractive faces formed between the top and the plurality of bottom sides, with each of the plurality of refractive faces being at a non-parallel and non-perpendicular angle, to the operative face, and with a plurality of light diffusing particles disposed between the operative face and the second face and located in the plurality of refractive units; and 
 a first light emitting diode fixed in relation to the light transmittable shield and located in the chamber, with the first light emitting diode facing the operative face and aligned with the light transmittable section of the mirror, wherein light beams emitted from the first light emitting diode pass through and are refracted by the plurality of refractive faces, and the light beams are then refracted by the plurality of light diffusing particles into uniform light beams passing through the second face of the light transmittable shield, 
 with one of the plurality of bottom sides of each of two adjacent refractive units of the plurality of refractive units being sharing a common bottom side of the two adjacent refractive units, with the common bottom sides of the plurality of refractive units meeting with each other at common points, and with the first light emitting diode aligned with one of the common points. 
 
     
     
       15. The side view mirror assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , with the side view mirror further including a mirror seat having a first side and a second side, with a window extending from the first side through the second side, with the mirror mounted to the second side, with the light transmittable section of the mirror aligned with the window, with a pad sandwiched between the first side of the mirror seat and the second face of the light transmittable shield, with the pad including a through-hole having a shape identical to and aligned with the light transmittable section, with the operative face of the light transmittable shield aligned with the window, with a circuit board fixed in the chamber of the light transmittable shield, with the first light emitting diode mounted to the circuit board, with a cover securely mounted to the light transmittable shield, and with the cover configured to be securely mounted to the first side of the mirror seat. 
     
     
       16. The side view mirror assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein a ratio of a spacing between the top of each of the plurality of refractive units and the operative face in the direction to a spacing between the operative face and the second face in the direction is between 1.2:1 and 1.8:1. 
     
     
       17. The side view mirror assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , with the operative face including 8-143 refractive units per square centimeter, with an angle between two adjacent bottom sides being between 60° and 135°, with the non-parallel and non-perpendicular angle between each of the plurality of refractive faces and the operative face being between 40° and 80°, and with the light transmittable shield including 0.25-30 wt % of the plurality of light diffusing particles and 70-99.75 wt % of a light transmittable material. 
     
     
       18. A side view mirror assembly comprising:
 a side view mirror adapted to be mounted to a side of a vehicle, with the side view mirror including a mirror having a light transmittable section; 
 a light transmittable shield fixed in relation to the mirror and including a first face and a second face spaced from the first face in a direction, with a chamber defined in the first face and including an operative face spaced from the second face in the direction, with the operative face aligned with the light transmittable section of the mirror, with a plurality of refractive units provided on the operative face, with each of the plurality of refractive units including a plurality of bottom sides and a top spaced from the plurality of bottom sides in the direction, with a plurality of refractive faces formed between the top and the plurality of bottom sides, with each of the plurality of refractive faces being at a non-parallel and non-perpendicular angle to the operative face, and with a plurality of light diffusing particles disposed between the operative face and the second face and located in the plurality of refractive units; and 
 a first light emitting diode fixed in relation to the light transmittable shield and located in the chamber, with the first light emitting diode facing the operative face and aligned with the light transmittable section of the mirror, wherein light beams emitted from the first light emitting diode pass through and are refracted by the plurality of refractive faces, and the light beams are then refracted by the plurality of light diffusing particles into uniform light beams passing through the second face of the light transmittable shield; and 
 a plurality of second light emitting diodes received in the chamber and surrounding the first light emitting diode, with the plurality of second light emitting diodes having an equal spacing to the first light emitting diode, with one of the plurality of bottom sides of each of two adjacent refractive units of the plurality of refractive units being a common bottom side of the two adjacent refractive units, wherein the common bottom sides of the plurality of refractive units meet with each other at common points, and wherein each of the plurality of second light emitting diodes is aligned with one of the tops or one of the common points.